Dear Editor,
It is a raging police-hunting season, and the GPF cannot remove itself from the unforgiving high glare of the spotlight. I read repeatedly of so-called “elements” in the force, which are poisoning it, and seriously harming society at the same time. There are several issues with that perhaps tactful, perhaps careful, but definitely understated label involved in the use of “elements.”
For starters, “elements” suggests at some connotative level that this is a sporadic presence, and not of arguably across-the-board saturation of corrupt and corrupting metastasizing cells in the GPF. “Elements” is indicative of understatement taken to new levels. I recall writing/questioning the presence of one (repeat one) good cop in the entire force. I quickly acknowledge this as taking matters to the other extreme. Further, I have been fortunate to encounter in my journeys more than one good, honest, clean, professional member of the force. They are overwhelmed by their surroundings.
Moreover, there are heard-on-the-street encounters, hard and settled history, and a supporting body of anecdotal experiences which underscore that police corruption is anything but limited or isolated to a handful of precincts and a few errant officers. Instead, it is extensive, embedded and ubiquitous. Its existence, or the gravity of such existence, is not served well by diplomatic language. Nor is it made better by a continuation of those propaganda stink bombs from the prior government about a “few bad apples” and a “handful of rogue cops.” The sooner there is recognition and public declaration that the GPF encompasses a major institutional problem, and a major societal problem, only then can a start be made.
A start can be made on the long hard road to recovery, or putting the patient out of current misery. I hear about morale and encouraging the few good ones, but society’s interest is at stake, and it needs to be reassured and develop some confidence. Plus the good cops need the encouragement and incentive of seeing the army of bad ones removed. There has been enough of the pussyfooting around, and sugarcoating of the issue. It is either a big problem (not issue), or it isn’t. Let this monstrosity be called for what it really is. Since the many members of the public have their own police story episode to share, it clearly cannot be a minimal matter.
Additionally, the top cops, with rare exceptions, have developed and exhibited the required antenna and corresponding Teflon lexicon that guides them in saying the right things at the right time to the right audiences. These very senior officers can be as soothing as Vicks Vapor Rub, and just as aromatic. They almost never make any public misstep. Unfortunately, and to the nation’s hazard, these men have mastered the fine art involved in believed sophisticated word games that fool no one ‒ at least, not in the long-term. Citizens have been treated to what is more about PR than performance, and more representative of pontificating than policy and procedural adherence. These situations would be laughable and scorned, were it not for the painful results to society, while all the time the GPF is given leeway to dig a deeper hole for itself.
Editor, the matter crunches to this nutshell: acknowledge the severity (catastrophic nature) of the problem, for a problem it is. And start to fix it. Or perpetuate the myth, the absurdity, and head-in-the-sand escapism that this is a minor and manageable circumstance, characterized by the incidental and the occasional. Language and actions must align with the seriousness of the situation.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
